Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-12-06

their Inquiry;
@Private and Confidential
awe have the honor to inform our directors
that we arrived in Venice on Dec. 0, 1880,
On the same day we proceeded to tho palace
inhabited by Lord Montbarry at the time OF
his last illness and death.
awe were received with all possible cour-
tesy by Lady Montbarry's brother, Baron
Rivar. MY sister was her husbands only at
tendant throughout his Illness the baron In
formed us. She is overwhelmed by grief
md fattgue-or she would have been here to
receive you personally. What are your
wishes, gentlemen, and what can do for
you, in her ladyship's placer
an accordance with our instructions, we
answered that the death and burial Of Lord
Montbarry abroad made it desirable TO OBJ
tain moro complete Information relating to
his illness and to the circumstances which
had attended It thnn could be conveyed in
writing. We explained that the law provid-
ed for the lapse Of certain interval Of time
before the payment Of the sum assured and
we expressed our wish 10 conduct the inquiry
with the most respectful consideration for
her ladyship's feelings, and for the convent
ence Of any other members of the family in
habiting tho house.
"To this the baron replied, 4 am the only
member OF the family living here, and and
the palace are entirely at your disposal
From first to last we found this gentleman per-
fectly STRAIGHTFORWARD and most amiably
willing TO nssist us.
"With the one exception Of her ladyship's
room. we went over the whole Of the palace
the same day. 1t is an immense place, only
partially furnished. The first floor and part
OF the second floor were the portions OF 1t
that had been inhabited by Lord Montbarry
and the members OF the household. We saw
the bed chamber at one extremity OF the pal
ace, In which his lordship died, and the small
room communicating with it, which he used
MS a study. Next TO this was large apart
ment or hill, the doors Of which he habit
ually kept locked, his object being-as we
were informed-to pursue his studies uninter-
ruptedly In perfect solitude. On the other
side of the large hall were the bed chamber
occupied by her ladyship and the dressing
room in which the maid slept previous TO her
departure for England. Beyond these were
the dining and reception rooms, opening into
an ante chamber, which gave access to the
grand staircase Of the palace.
"The only inhabited rooms on the second
floor were the sitting room and bed room oc-
cupied by Baron Rivar, and another room at
some distance from II, which had been the
bed room Of the courier, Ferrari
EThe rooms on the third floor and on the
basement were completely unfurnished, and
in q condition OF great neglect. We inquired
II there was anything TO be seen below the
basement-and we were at once Informed
that there weTe vaults beneath which we wert
at perfect liberty TO visit.
HWo " tent down, so rs TO leave no part OF
the palace UNEMPLOYED. The vaults were, II
Was believed, used as dungeons in the old
times-say some centuries since. Air and
light were only partially admitted TO these
dismal places by two long shafts of winding
construction, which communicated with the
back yard of the place, and the openings OF
which, high above the ground, were protected
by iron gratings The stone stairs leading
down into the vaults could be closed at will
by heavy trap door in the back hall, which
we found open. The baron himself led the
way down the stairs. We remarked that It
might DO awkward II that trap door fell down
and closed the opening behind us The baron
smiled at the idea Don't be alarmed, gem
tlemen,' he said; the door Is safe. had an
interest in seeing to it myself, when we first
inhabited the place. My fnvorite study is
the study Of experimental chomistry-and
my workshop, since we have been in Venice,
Is down here
"These last words explained curious smell
in the vaults, which we noticed the moment
we entered them. We can only describe the
smell by saying that 1t was of twofold sort
family aromatic, as it were, in its first Of
feet, but with some after odor very sicken-
ing in our nostrils. The baron's furnaces and
retorts, aud other things, were all there to
speak fvr Themselves, together with some